Chapter 20: Ruin Exploration (?) (2)

After descending what seemed like an endless staircase, a large underground facility made of massive stones unfolded before us.

Creak.

Just then, the torch Ugo the knight was holding burned out.

As it seemed to be getting dark again, Ugo the knight somehow managed to light another torch from a nearby one.

Whoosh!

With the torch lit, the passage that was about to darken brightened up again.

"Even when we were descending the stairs, where did that torch come from?"

In response to Adria's question, Ugo answered.

"There's an important ruin from the Great War, the Mayorka Fortress, within the estate. The duchy wouldn't just leave it abandoned. While no one permanently resides there, it is regularly checked and maintained. These torches are for that purpose."

Adria looked around in amazement at his words.

The resentment and anger she had felt seemed to have subsided somewhat.

Since they hadn't been left to die, there was no reason to continue being angry.

Moreover, seeing that the facility from the Great War was still largely intact, rather than just a pile of ruins, seemed to have lifted her spirits.

"Let's move. They will continue to pursue us."

At Ugo the knight's words, the group, who had been looking around, resumed their steps.

"What was this place used for?"

This time, Bianca asked.

"This is the underground facility of the Mayorka Fortress. It was built during the height of the old empire, so the underground part is quite large. Although it's less extensive than the above-ground part, it's now quite difficult to navigate due to the many collapses."

As he said, we could see where the walls had collapsed, blocking the passage.

While there were many collapsed areas, the underground facility was still largely intact, unlike the surface.

The walls and floor were made of large stones.

The only sounds were the group's footsteps and the distant dripping of water. Beyond the reach of the torchlight, it was a dark and eerie place.

'The underground facility of a ruin from the Great War... Is this turning into a dungeon crawl?'

A ridiculous thought suddenly popped into my head, making me chuckle.

"Why are you laughing?"

Adria looked at my face and asked. Oops, my laughter must have shown.

"No, it's nothing. Rather, can you tell us what's going on now?"

Instead of answering her question, I asked the other two.

"Ah, right. I want to hear too."

Adria strongly agreed with my words.

Fortunately, Bianca and Ugo the knight didn't seem to want to delay their answers.

"There are nobles who oppose the engagement of Prince Simon, as you well know, Lady Adria."

I didn't know that.

"Yeah. Envoys from neighboring estates have even come to protest. That's why we came to the duchy."

"Yes, but it's not something that can be resolved by just running away..."

As I listened to the explanation, it became clear that we had indeed been dragged into a dangerous situation.

"So, you received intelligence that they were planning to kill Lady Adria to prevent the alliance between the two families."

"Did you plan to investigate the attackers to find out who the enemy was, and then put pressure on the confirmed enemies?"

This was the result of a large-scale political conflict involving the Grecia Dukedom, which supports the First Prince, the Iero Marquessate, which supports the Second Prince, and the noble faction.

A sigh escaped me.

If the internal affairs of the dukedom are this complicated, I can only imagine the political struggles of the kingdom. This could lead to a world war.

Moreover, the preparations didn't go well.

"From the current situation, it seems the plan has failed."

Ugo the knight and Bianca couldn't find words to respond to my statement.

"That's... because Prince Simon got involved."

Adria said in a sullen voice.

Comfort for Simon... His romantic life is going to be very difficult from now on.

"But also, wasn't the number of enemies much larger than expected?"

Ugo the knight nodded seriously.

"Yes. With that many, it's hard to call it an ambush. It will be difficult to contain the situation, I wonder what they were thinking..."

While I now understood what had happened, it was hard to fully trust the information given, given the current mess.

"So, where are we going now? Is there a place to hide in this underground area?"

Shaking his head at Adria's question, Ugo the knight replied.

"While many areas have collapsed and it has become complicated, there is no place to hide. We can buy some time, but it will be difficult to keep evading them."

Then, Ugo the knight suddenly started talking about history.

"The Mayorka Fortress battle during the Great War began with the fortress being surrounded by the demon race."

Was it a story she liked? Adria quickly picked up on Ugo the knight's words.

"I know that story. The heroes came to the rescue, broke through the siege from the outside, turned the tide, and it became the starting point for a counterattack in the Great War, which had been going badly."

"Yes, that's correct. However, it's not known how the heroes and reinforcements learned that the fortress was surrounded."

"Oh... That's right. Was there a hero with clairvoyance or precognition at the time?"

"No, it wasn't a matter of ability. Someone broke through the siege and delivered the news."

The conversation between Adria and Ugo the knight flowed naturally.

'It's like a guide explaining the history of a ruin to tourists.'

While it didn't fit the situation of fleeing from enemies, Ugo the knight's words piqued our curiosity.

"Did they break through the siege alone? Was there a hero inside the fortress?"

"No, he escaped without a single fight."

Ugo the knight pointed his finger down.

"He escaped through a secret passage in the fortress's underground."

A secret passage? Is there one here?

"Are we going there now?"

Adria's voice brightened as she asked.

"Yes, we are heading to where the secret passage is."

Both women were pleased, but I had a question about his explanation.

"But if there was a secret passage, everyone could have escaped through it when they were surrounded."

"Oh, right. They could have left some behind or used decoys."

Adria looked at me with admiration, but Bianca looked at Ugo the knight with a serious expression.

"Unfortunately, that wasn't possible. You'll understand when we get there."

Really, he was someone who kept us on edge.

Thanks to him, the relaxed atmosphere tightened again, and the group continued through the underground passage with anxious faces.

Unfortunately, the underground of the fortress wasn't like the dungeons in novels or movies from my previous life.

There were no traps, and no monsters appeared. Only small animals resembling rats fled from the light.

We turned through the passage, passed through walls with holes, and arrived at the deepest part of the facility.

The further we went inside, the more the surroundings lost their artificial feel.

The neatly arranged stone walls decreased, and natural rock formations increased. Wooden beams supporting the ceiling were visible at intervals, and eventually, it became a natural cave.

Finally, the cave came to an end.

A rock blocked the way, leaving no place to go further.

The rock was full of cracks and broken marks, and in front of it were scattered picks, shovels, and tools I had never seen before.

Ugo the knight led us to the rock.

Bianca glared at the rock and asked.

"It's just a rock. Surely, this isn't the secret passage?"

Don't tell me it opens with 'Open sesame'!

As I muttered and touched the rock, everyone looked at me.

Hmm, maybe not?

"Yes. I called it a secret passage, but in reality, it's a rock cave, or rather, a crack between rocks. It's a place where the underground expansion of the fortress was blocked by rocks. Since there was no need to expand further, it was left as is, but we found a way out from here."

He brought the torch closer to the rock. As the torch moved, shadows danced, and a crack in the rock appeared at the edge.

Bianca approached the crack. She stopped in front of it.

"So, that's what you meant earlier."

Her voice was very calm.

Seeing the crack between the rocks, I understood her words.

It would have been impossible for all the soldiers in the fortress to escape through there.

Or, could just one or two have managed?

The crack between the rocks was too narrow for an adult to pass through.

Bianca looked at Adria and me and said.

"You two should be able to make it."

Her voice sounded relieved.

Adria checked the crack and shouted.

"No! I won't run away! We can win if we fight together. Yes, if we hold out a little longer, the duke will come with soldiers."

Shouting at Bianca, Adria didn't look at her.

Bianca bowed her head to me.

"Please take care of Lady Adria."

I looked at the bowed Bianca and asked Ugo the knight.

"Did you plan this from the start when you sent Simon?"

"Yes. Prince Simon is large for his age, so it would be difficult for him to pass through here."

He brought me along because I was the only one small enough to protect Adria in the end.

Sigh, he was really a principled person.

A knight who came to a place where he could die without any excuses, just to carry out his orders and save others.

I stared at the knight.

A large build with a rugged face.

His tone and actions were those of a stereotypical knight who blindly serves his master.

But, appearances aren't everything.

Or, maybe I had been underestimating the people in this world.

"I will tell the duke everything you have done. And... I will remember you, no matter what happens."

"Hehe, it's an honor to be remembered by a prince."

A smile appeared on his rugged face.

Of course, he didn't understand the full meaning of my words.

Bianca eventually convinced Adria.

I didn't understand, but after hearing about the duties of a noble, Adria decided to follow her advice.

Ugo wiped a small symbol carved next to the crack and said.

Perhaps because he had told us everything, his voice sounded relaxed.

"There's a story that one of the heroes who escaped the fortress to seek help was among the heroes. It's just one of many legends, though."

The symbol looked familiar. Where had I seen it before?

"But, who knows? You or Lady Adria might grow up to be such a hero."

It seemed like an attempt to lift our spirits, but the atmosphere remained somber.

He pointed to the crack in the wall with an awkward expression.

"Go now. Do not stop or turn back under any circumstances. The enemy might use fire or special abilities."

Bianca added.

"Hurry. They could attack at any moment."

Adria bit her lip at her words.

"Don't just die!"

"That won't happen. I will do my best to survive."

Once the decision was made, we couldn't waste time.

I grabbed Adria's arm and pushed my body into the crack.

I couldn't walk straight.

But, thanks to my small size, I could move through the crack by turning sideways. Adria's chest seemed to get stuck, but she started moving by forcing her limbs.

* * *

The young boy and girl disappeared into the crack.

Bianca sighed.

"They're gone. I hope they arrive safely."

"We can't know that."

"Wow, to think you could take on such a responsible position with that personality."

"I am grateful to the duke for that."

"What a shame. If I had known earlier, I would have dropped a handkerchief or something."

"Hmm, that is a bit of a shame."

The two chuckled.

The conversation a moment ago was like a last chat before charging into the enemy.

The two picked up their swords again.

While they told Adria they would try their best to survive, they didn't intend to keep that promise.

They needed to move as far away from here as possible to confuse the enemy.

"Shall we go?"

"Yes. It's a pleasure to have such a fine knight as my last companion."

"I feel the same."

The two started running in opposite directions.

The torch Ugo the knight held grew smaller and smaller, and soon, faint screams and shouts could be heard.

The sound of swords clashing continued for a while, then the light disappeared.